The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-12-30

WOMEN m JouRNAlisas,

WO1AN,N DEPARTMENT.
WOMEN m JoURNALiSAa.
Sss nev.raas nss.see q Wsosa n Nsvs.
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Well, I have had something to do
with women on newspapers Among
the first to write regularly and accept
ably in this city was Mrs Hannah
Sheppard. for years an esteemed and
valuable editorial writer ON the Star.
She wrote 80 we'll ON Industrial mat
ters generally, and with such discrim.
ination on that delicate topic, the in
evitable conflict between capital and
labor. n to attract the attention Of
James Gordon Bennett-the James
Gordon Bennett, 1 mean-who sent to
ask. if it were a proper question. the
name of the author of those articles.
Jennie June, Mrs Ellis Mrs Wash
burn. Lillian Whiting. Minerva Smith.
Mrs. Battle and Miss Glenn. daughter
Of our old friend Sam Glenn. once ed
itor of the Boston Herald. and for years
q man among the men Of the New
York Herald, have made marks in
journalism of credit and profit; while
Miss Nellie Hutchinson, of the Tribune.
Miss Amalia Barr and Nellie Bly,. Of
the World, have done such significant
work as to place them absolutely in the
very van of contemperaneOus writer's.
Nellie Bly, is the young woman whose
voluntary incarceration few months
ago made a sensation from Maine to
Georgia and its story was copied in all
the papers of the land. She came to
my Office last summer from Pittsburgh.
where she had been working on local
papers, and said she wanted something
to do. l gave her letters to the chief
editors in the city of New York. upon
whom she called. and interviewed them
on the subject of women in journalism.
Her reception was courteously chilling.
Like the guests invited by the man
whose story is told IN the Bible, Forth
with they began every one 10 make ex-
cuses," and show to her how utterly
impossible it was for woman to sue
coed in what they werc pleased to call
journalism-for we are all Journal
lists" now, Bohemianism being entire
" swept away by the lesson of alleged
reform except when she wrote
about fashions.
That nettled Nelly.
Being nettleL she was stung to ac-
ton.
Size went to work and produced fif-
teen columns of sensation, which mono
of her critics had thought Of or could
have accomplished if they had tried.
turned it into the paper to which she
had promised it and received about
one-third rs much for it as would have
been paid to any one of four or five ex-
perts. had they been smart enough to
think of the idea
There is no reason whatever, there
can be no argument whatever. against
girls working on newspapers. in pub
fishing establishments Of any sort or
kind. but in that branch of work. as in
every other. experience is what tells.
First comes the natural gift. then the
discretion. the ingenuity. the informa-
ton born of experience.
Needle-work. shop duty. nursing are
laborious and underpaid occupations.
The time will undoubtedly come
when women will practice in our
courts. l doubt if ever they will be
popular in the pulpit, because two at
least of the great denominations will
of necessity bar them out leaving to
them the more arduous. less conspicu-
Gus and poorer paid branches of relig-
ious perfunctoryisms. teaching visits
ton, private ministration. The life of
a school-teacher. conscientious.
pains-taking school-teacher. is the
hardest known to mortal existence
and the poorest paid.
just see what a schoOl-teacher is.
No one will deny. I suppose, the
truth of the old proverb that "as the
twig is bent. the tree inclines." and
vet we send our little twigs to be bent
day after day, year in aud year out.
knowing nothing and caring less of the
mental attributes. the physical condi-
tion. the moral status of the person
who is to bend the twig and incline the
tree. If we are heavy tax payers, We
grumble because the Board of Educa-
ton wants 80 much money" to pay
the teachers.
If we are not heavy taxpayers We
don't feel sufficient interest in our own
children to see that tho men and
women who are to mold their char
acters. in whose hands are influences
that are to train and direct, in very
many instances. their whole future;
We don't care enough about the people |
to see that they are comfortably
housed, that they are conveniently
placed during school hours. even that
they are paid enough money to keep
body and soul together As you all |
must know. . school teacher has no |
time to herself for outside occupation.
Her school hour begins to be sure,
with the tinkle of the bell. but her
school hour does not end when the |
merry troop rush from the school, |
house door. II bad children are '.kept |
in''the teacher stays as well. and when |
she gets to her '.palatiar' three-story-
Darkroom she can not throw herself !
upon her bed and rest, she can not At /!
tire herself in becoming costume and
accompany friend to the theater. to
the opera or wherever. She must read
little Tommy Jones' composition. she